482 visa costs: which expenses belong to the employer?

Separate the applications and services

Create different budget lines for sponsorship, nomination, the SAF levy, visa application charges, skills assessments, English tests, health checks and legal work. Identify the applicant for each step and the service each fee covers.

Home Affairs states that costs associated with becoming a sponsor and nominating and sponsoring an applicant cannot be passed to the visa holder or family members. Do not assume that calling a payment an administration fee or repayment agreement changes its legal character.

Read reimbursement clauses before signing

Ask for any proposed salary deduction or repayment clause in writing. The legality depends on what the cost relates to and the applicable employment and migration rules. Obtain independent advice if the business and worker have different interests.

Do not pay for a job offer or assume an agent’s invoice makes a sponsorship payment lawful. Keep the employment offer separate from the legal retainer and make sure the scope and payer are clear for each service.

Use a budget that can be updated

Government charges and individual preparation costs can change. Check the official charge at the time of lodgement and allow for dependants and third-party expenses where applicable. Explain which legal services are included and what would require a new scope.

For illustration, a family application can involve substantially more applicant costs than a single-worker budget, even where the employer’s nomination is unchanged. Emigrate Lawyers provides a scoped fee proposal so the parties can distinguish legal fees from government charges and other expenses before engagement.

Common questions